marshall



@uitrit tutes @sind @ffice o. K. MARSHALL, oF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Letters .Patent No. 81,097, dated August 18, 1868; antcdatecl August 6,1868-.

vIMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

'Be it known that I, C. K. MARSHALL, of New Orleans, parish of'OrleenS,and Stute .of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Street 'or Station-Indicator for railroad-cars and otherpurposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description 'of the same, reference being had to' the annexeddrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, tnakingpart ofthis spccication, -and in which- "to possesso great degree of strength.

Figure 1 is a sectionaLview, showing the entire mechanism.

Figure 2 isa plan view, 1

Figure 3.are plan, top, and sectonalviews of the ratphet-chai'n.

The object of my li-nventiou isto .so construct e. street or stationrailway-indicator that the conductor can cause the name of the street orthe name and distance of the station to be readily presented tothepassengers when the seme is reached, sitnplybyl pulling a cond or band.1

Many attempts have been made to introduce devises to accomplish theforegoing object, but as yet none have gone into general use orsuccessful operation. The 'reason is, they have been all toocomplicated,'which not only rendered 'them' expens iv e,'butalso`excedingly liebleto get out of order.4

A device of this character, te he successful, requires toite-constructed ithrthe utmost sithplicty, and also My inventionconsists' inra simplsand practical method of arranging a series lof tagson independent rods, said rods having their bearings at regularintervalsin ratchet-chains, which pass over rollers arranged at the endsof 'a rectangular hox,'iand the whole being operetedfby mee-us of asliding bar, spring, andppawl, thelatter gearing with suitableprojections inl theendless chain. A

I Toenablexrthers skilled in' the-art to'make `and use my invention, Iwill proceed todescribe its construction-and operation. y A y A. isa`retangular fratrie orfboz'z, of depthand width s uiicient to con-tainthe entire mechanism. B B are two rollers, arranged at'for near the endsof box Av. These rollers havetheir linteri-ugs insuitable metalplates,'b b, which are secured to the sides of the box Y C C are two'endless ratchet-chains, ot` length sufficient to furnishbearings for anumber of tags-.equal to 'the number of streets or stations along theroute on' which'the' indicator is to be used.. '.lhese chains C Care'passed over the rollers B B, as clearlyshown .in iig. 1. These chains CC are constructed as follows; 'I cast,

cut, orstamp out-a piece of metal, D, which resembles sornewhst, inform, a Greek cross, with this exception: the farms d d are alittle'longer than the leg hand are circular a't their cridsytheJliametenof the circular ,portion being a little greater than is thewidth of the straight portion of the same. In the-centreof the circular'portion of the arms d d, are eyes al.z d. '.lhese'eyes el2 alz tit overandere -rmly secured to stumps e`e arranged onthe ends and on both sidesof a hat metal plate, E. This -plate E is made of the same material,vand by a like process as in the plate D. When the plates D -and E areunited together, :they compose a rzitch'et-l chain ofrthe form shown iniig.- 3; the stumps e e on'each end et" the plateE furnishing bearingsfor the ends of two'independentplates D. Thus it will beobservedtha'.t'the endsof the plate vWerl: between two of the plates DD, thelatter being duplicate, to insure the degree of strengthrcqnisitefor their intended use. ,The

recess formed between the straight side of the leg d" and the e'urvcdendof' the" arm d, furnishes n T-shaped yratchet-insuring, in whichgears a pawl by which'theehain is operated. When thelinks o f the chainare united,-

I as shown in iig; 3, it will-be observed that in the centre of eachlternateplateD there is'an opening, d. These fopenings serve as bearingsfor .the rod on which works the tag.

, f E F are a 'series of tags, constructed of metal or any othersuitable materi al These tags are firmly secured to `rods which aresecured, at spitable intervals, to the chains C. On bothsdes of-tlxesetagsere arrnged, Vby any convenient ineens, the nnme'of any desiredstreet or station'.

G is a metal har or plate, which works in suitable guide-plates, fand y,which are secured tothe sideof the box A. To the gliideplatcgg Athereisattached a spring, g', which, when the bar` or plato G is drawn baclibyl the vccil-sprng'ILI, causes the pawl I to'oeclipy a position nearlyparallel with-the plate G,

H is c. coil er other suitable spring, one end ofi which is attached tothe vbar -or plate G. The othenend is firmly secured to-tho end of the'boxA. i

Iis apawl, which works on a. suitable bearing-pin, attached to the plateG. isa cbcckpin,\vhich,nrevents thc'pznvl I from being thrown out ofproper position by the spring g". j i i' K is a strapor cord, suitablyattached, and by pulling whchthe plate G is drawn forward, whichoperates the entire mechanism. l i

L L are bearing-plates, so arranged in the sides of vthc box that, asthe chains arebe'ingmoved, the tags F are kept in an even or flatposition. a s'an opening in the bottom ,f the box, through which,atregular intervals, the tagsF are caused to fzilh'exhbiting. toI thepassengers the naine ofthe street or station reached' The operation isas follows: I

We will'presume that the machine is in the position shotvn in iig. 1.The driver or conductor pulls the band or cord K, which carries `with itthe plate' The moment the bearing-pini passes the edge o f tlzcsprnggv', the pawll wil'llfa'llon the chain'C, anden it will move untiltcomes in -contact'with the ratchet-bearing in the next'plate D. Withthis bearing the'pawl engages, and carriesthe chains C along-itsfutureniovement.

It \vill be observed that the distance that the pawl isvallowed totravel, between the first engagement with the chain to the-timewhen itsmovementis arrested .by the guide-platef, isv exactlT the distancebetween the bearing-rodsv of the tags Fa The consequence is, that 'thetag that was exposed when the operation commenced 1 is withdrawn', andthe next-in'ordcr occupies its place, und s o on until the entire.series-bas been presented.

- 4t-ov'secure by'Lcttcrs Patent of the-Unitedy States, is-

The moment the pressure is released from the cord K, the spring .Hinstantly drf'aws ,the plate Gr, carrying withit the v'pawl I, to theposition shownin fig. `1 l Having thus fully described my invention andn'odc ofoperaition, what I claim thereiny as new, and desire 1. Thecndless'chain C, when the saine is composed of metal plates, D and E,-sounited and arranged as to form the Tlshapcd ratchehbearing,snbstantiaily as and for the purpose specied.-

2. The combination of the endless chains C and tags F F, when tbcsameare constructed and arranged substantially4 asdeScribed. Y

.3. The combination of the chains C C, plate Gr, pawl I, and springH,vwhen the saine are constructed and arranged substantially asdescribed.

In'testimony whereof, I have signed my n'nme to this specification inthe presence of two snbscribingwitnesses.

c. K. MARSHALL,

. JOHN D. BLoon,

J. E. F.' HOLMEAD.

